All In The Game
by Chris - Cobra Death Grip
Summary: A lunch conversation gets blown WAY out of proportion


**DISCLAIMER** Scarecrow & Mrs. King is copyrighted to Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Production Company. The story, however, belongs to the author. This story is for entertainment purposes only and cannot be redistributed without the permission of the author.  
  
Title: All In The Game  
Author: Chris - Cobra Death Grip  
Date: September 2000  
Setting: After Nightcrawler - Before Do You Take This Spy  
Rating: G  
  
  
Author's Notes: This is a short story about a day in the life of "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" and is more about them than Agency business. The story was conceived upon listening to a fifties song called "It's All In The Game" by Tommy Edwards and just goes to show how a conversation can get blown way out of proportion. My heartfelt thanks go to my beta reader, Bohemian Fling, for sticking with me in my many revisions. Your input has been invaluable, BF, you're true GOLD - Thank you!   
  
This is my first foray in the world of fanfiction. Comments are welcome. Let me know what you think.   
  
  
All In The Game  
By: Chris Cobra Death Grip  
  
"Mmmm... A Five and Diner, huh? This is a great place Amanda," said Lee Stetson, taking in the appearance of the fifty's style restaurant and getting a real feel for the atmosphere it projected. "How'd you find it?"  
  
"Oh, just running my usual, routine errands," replied Amanda King, mistress of Lee Stetson's heart. "You know, grocery store, credit union, post office...I spotted it while leaving the credit union. Being as it's so close to the office, I thought maybe we could stop by for lunch sometime."   
  
"Good thinking! The food smells great, and I'm pretty hungry. Let's sit in the booth in the back, out of sight from prying eyes. I want you all to myself for a while," Lee said with a smile as he gently grasped her hand in his.  
  
"I like the way you think, Mr. Stetson," replied Amanda as they wondered to the quiet, dimly lit booth, immensely enjoying the feel of his touch.   
  
As they were making their way to the table, the jukebox was playing "Twilight Time" by the Platters, an old fifty's song. 'Wow, that brings back a few memories', thought Amanda. "I can remember my mother and father dancing to that song," she told Lee as they made themselves comfortable at the table. "They loved to dance to slow, romantic music."  
  
"Well, I guess you come by it honestly," said Lee. If the place wasn't so crowded, I'd ask you to dance with me."  
  
"Really, you and me, dancing...and not part of a cover? Is such a thing possible?"  
  
"Oh yes ma'am, very possible; it's gonna happen more often, and very soon. If you're interested, that is," he said giving her his million- dollar smile.  
  
"Well, I don't know," said Amanda. "I'll have to check my calendar and get back with you."  
  
"Yeah right," chuckled Lee. "You just let me know, ok?"  
  
"Don't worry, you'll be the first to know," she said jokingly. "Really though, there's not even any place to dance in here, Lee."  
  
"Sure there is. Didn't you see the small, but modest, dance floor on the other end of the restaurant?"   
  
"No, I didn't. It must be really small."  
  
"Nah, not REALLY small, but definitely too well lit at the moment."  
  
"Well, I guess we'll just have to keep it under consideration for a later date," she said, picking up a menu to peruse the lunch specials.   
  
"You've got yourself a deal," said Lee, also reviewing the lunch menu.  
  
"Amanda," said Lee, still heartily working on his lunch, "is there something on your mind? You seem a little...distant."  
  
"Well, Lee," replied Amanda, giving her empty plate a push to the side, "now that you mention it, I really need to talk to you about something that happened earlier today."  
  
"Ok, what's up?"  
  
"Mac McCausland came by to see me this morning," said Amanda.  
  
"McCausland," sneered Lee, "what did *he* want?"  
  
"Well, he asked me to assist him on one of his cases. He said he talked to Mr. Melrose about it and that if I wanted to do it, I could."  
  
"Amanda, you've got to be kidding me! I hope you're asking me for an opinion here, because you know I'm going to give you one. That guy is a real sleaze ball. They don't call him 'The Armpit' for nothing, you know."  
  
"I know...but he really sounded like he needs the help, and I'm sure it's something I can do. Heck, any freshman agent can handle it."  
  
"If any freshman agent can do it, Amanda, then why are you even considering it?"  
  
"Because Lee, it's more field experience for me. We have a light workload right now, and you know that I really want to get all the experience I can."   
  
"Yeah, I know that, but with McCausland, you won't be getting the type of experience that you think you will."   
  
"Now just what is that supposed to mean?"  
  
"Amanda, the guy's got a bad reputation. He's careless, and he gets into trouble all the time. We've had to bail his butt out of more jams than Carter has pills! And *every time* he works with a female...well, let's just say there are more than a few reprimands in his file."   
  
"What are you saying to me, Lee? Don't you trust me enough to know I can handle working with him? Do you have so little faith in my abilities, as an agent, to think that I can't even execute a simple assignment?"  
  
"No Amanda, it isn't you that I don't trust. It's Mr. Wanna-Get-Lucky who's got me concerned. Just thinking about this makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I don't want you to work with him."  
  
"Lee...?!"  
  
"Amanda, I'm serious. I don't want you to do it. I don't want you within ten feet of that guy."   
  
"And is that your final word on the subject, *Mr. Senior Agent*?" asked Amanda, clearly very annoyed.   
  
"Yeah, it is," replied an equally as annoyed Lee.  
  
"Fine. If that's the case, maybe you'd better just take me back to the office," responded Amanda, as she got up and headed out the door.   
  
The drive back to the office was spent in an uncomfortable silence. Lee glanced at Amanda several times, but was met only with the back of her head as she spent the short trip deep in thought, gazing out the passenger window.   
  
When they arrived back at the Agency, Lee quickly exited the "vette" and opened the passenger door for Amanda, extending his hand to help her.   
  
"Thank you," intoned Amanda, quickly releasing his hand and walking on ahead of him.   
  
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Marsten," said Amanda, nimbly taking the proffered badge and heading upstairs to the Q-Bureau, without so much as awaiting a reply.  
  
"Mrs. Marsten," remarked Lee as he too grabbed his badge, quickly following Amanda up the stairs and coming to the conclusion that their lunch conversation was *far* from over.  
  
'Hhmmm...judging by that little display, I think we have a bit of a lover's quarrel going on,' thought Mrs. Marsten.   
  
"Amanda," said Lee, closing and locking the door to the Q-Bureau, "I don't think we're done talking about McCausland yet."  
  
"Lee, I'm not going to argue with you about this. I heard what you said at lunch and *I am* done talking about this. In fact, I think I'm done here today, period. I'll call you tonight... maybe." With that, she picked up her purse and left him standing in the office alone, dumbfounded and wondering just how in the world this had gotten so crazy.   
  
"I don't believe this," bellowed a somewhat aggravated Lee shaking his head. "She just walked out on me - again!" 'Guess I must have hit a nerve...but still, I can't believe she walked out on me twice in one day. This is too unreal, but I *am* right! When she calms down, she'll see that I'm right and she'll apologize,' he thought, sitting down at his desk, not even trying to concentrate on the paperwork in front of him.  
  
"Mother, I'm home," cried out Amanda, heading into the kitchen with an armload of groceries. "I stopped by the store and picked up the things you asked me to get for you on the way home."  
  
"Thank you dear," replied Dotty, suddenly realizing the time.   
  
"Aren't you home a little early today, Amanda?" said her inquisitive mother.   
  
"Yes, Mother. I just needed to get out of the office."   
  
"Is something the matter, darling? You seem a little upset."  
  
"No Mother, nothing's wrong."  
  
"Amanda, you can fool some of the people, some of the time, but when it comes to matters of the heart, specifically yours, you can *never* fool your mother.   
  
"Oh, Mother!"  
  
"That's right, I am your mother...and not only am I your mother, but I'm also a woman. You have a heavy heart right now. I can see it in your eyes and I can hear it in your voice."   
  
"Mother...!"  
  
"No Amanda, I know something's bothering you, and you know I really don't mean to pry, but I think you'll feel better about your problem if you talk about it. Maybe I can help. I have been around a little, ya know. This is about a man, isn't it?"  
  
"Well, yeah, kind of. My supervisor and I had a disagreement, and I really didn't want to rehash it all afternoon. Mother, I'm good at what I do and sometimes...I don't know. I guess I'm just tired of having to prove it so much."   
  
"I didn't realize the documentary film business was so competitive," said Dotty.   
  
"It's not that, Mother. I really can't get into it, because it's IFF business, but...sometimes I just wish he'd give me a little credit and let me do my job. I can do what I need to do, and quite well, too."   
  
"And...what? He thinks you're incapable of doing your job?"   
  
"No, I don't think that's it. He's just concerned about the other people who will be working on the same project," said Amanda, finally realizing that maybe Lee had a valid point.   
  
"Well, sweetheart, it sounds like your supervisor, Mr. ...?" Dotty hesitated, waiting for Amanda to fill in the blank.  
  
"Stetson, Mother."  
  
"Yes, Mr. Stetson. It seems as if he really cares about you and is concerned about your reputation, as well as the quality of the work you do. There's really nothing wrong with that."  
  
"I know, Mother. The more I think about this, the more I think maybe he's right." 'And he'll never let me live this one down,' thought Amanda.   
  
"Maybe you should give him a call and let him know how you feel."   
  
"Maybe you're right, Mother," Amanda said as she excused herself and made her way up the stairs to her bedroom where she could talk to Lee privately on the phone.  
  
'I was a little tough on him this afternoon,' thought Amanda as she picked up the phone and dialed the number to the Agency. 'Like mother's helped me to realize, he's just concerned about McCausland and not really about my ability to do the job.'  
  
"International Federal Films" said the familiar voice on the other end of the phone.   
  
"Good Afternoon, Mrs. Marsten, it's Amanda King. May I speak to Mr. Stetson please?"   
  
"I'm sorry Mrs. King, but Mr. Stetson left the office about five minutes ago. He said he was leaving for the day."  
  
"Oh well," said Amanda, "I guess I'll just have to wait until tomorrow. Thank you Mrs. Marsten. Have a good evening."   
  
"Thank you, Mrs. King."  
  
"Lee....are you there? Please pick up." Waiting for a moment and receiving no response, Amanda continued to speak into the answering machine. "Well, I guess you're not home. Where are you? You're not at home, you're not at the office, it's been four hours since we've seen each other and I'm getting a little worried," said Amanda, all in one breath, ending in an exasperated sigh. "Well, I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier today. I'd really like to talk to you. Please call me when you get this message. I love you."  
  
'Ah, home at last,' thought Lee. 'But not much of a home without Amanda in it,' he mused, seeing the blinking light on his answering machine and instinctively knowing that Amanda had called.   
  
"Hmmph...I knew she'd see it my way," said Lee, after hearing Amanda's message, but not really congratulating himself on this victory.   
  
'Well,' he thought, 'I think I'll just take a shower, change my clothes and go make things right with the love of my life.'  
  
A few minutes later, Lee stepped into the shower, turned on the water and tried to unwind from his stressful day.   
  
"OOOhhhh, that feels good," growled Lee, welcoming the warm water cascading down his tense body.   
  
After standing in the warm shower for a few minutes, his body, at last, started to relax and he could finally begin contemplating his course of action for the evening. His mind was in efficient agent mode as he planned the evening's events like strategizing for a successful agency mission.  
  
Feeling refreshed and somewhat re-charged, Lee exited the shower, quickly shaved and applied a light dab of cologne, and then dressed, rather casually, but very comfortably.   
  
'Time to put my plan into action,' thought Lee as he closed and locked the door to his apartment, heading for the "vette".  
"Amanda," called Dotty, waltzing into the kitchen with a quick spring to her step.  
  
"Yes Mother," responded Amanda, who was finishing up the dishes from the evening meal.   
  
"I told the boys I'd take them to that new science fiction movie this evening for getting good grades on their report cards, if, that is, it's alright with you."  
  
"Sure Mother, go right ahead. I'll just finish washing the dinner dishes and then relax for a while."  
  
"You're welcome to join us darling," said a well-meaning Dotty. "There's always enough room for one more, and besides, you can help us eat the popcorn."  
  
"No, Mother, but thank you...really. I've had a pretty stressful day and I think I'd just like to sit down and relax."  
  
"Did you get in touch with Mr. Stetson?" questioned Dotty.  
  
"No, I wasn't able to catch him at work, but I left him a message. He hasn't called back, though." 'I guess he's probably a little angry with me,' thought Amanda.  
  
"Well, don't worry darling, these things have a way of working themselves out."  
  
"Thanks Mother," responded Amanda, giving Dotty a hug and receiving a squeeze of support in return. "I'll see you later. You and the boys have a good time."  
  
"Oh, we will dear, we will," responded Dotty, who would rather see a Clark Gable romance movie than a space battle movie.  
  
Amanda had no sooner finished her evening chores and finally sat down on the couch to relax, admiring the engagement ring Lee had given her, when she heard a light rapping on the back door. She knew it was Lee. Quickly getting up and moving to the door, she opened it, lightly pulling him over the threshold and into her arms, aching just to hold him.   
  
"Lee, where have you been?" she whispered, just reveling in his embrace. "I've been worried sick about you."  
  
"Amanda, it's ok," he replied, slowly and somewhat reluctantly pulling away from her embrace and giving her the single red rose he brought with him.  
  
She accepted the flower and his gentle kiss, which brushed lightly on her tender lips. Shaking her head slightly, with a smile, she asked, "What did I ever do to deserve you?"  
  
He laughed a little and replied "I ask myself the same thing at least ten times a day, Amanda." Seeing the ring on her finger, he remarked, "That's a nice ring you have there."   
  
"Oh, this little thing," replied Amanda with a slight grin. "It's a beautiful ring, Lee. I just wish I could wear it all the time."  
  
"Yeah, me too...more than you'll ever know. Come on; let's go for a ride. We need to talk."  
  
After Amanda locked up the house, Lee took her hand in his, gently entwining their fingers together, and led her to his car. He opened the door for her and lightly kissed her hand as he helped her get into the "vette".  
  
"Where are we going, Lee?" asked Amanda as they drove off down the street.   
  
"Oh, a little place my fiancée introduced me to earlier today," he replied, flashing her a smile that would melt titanium.   
  
"The Five and Diner...really?"  
  
"Yeah, I kind of like the place, and I didn't exactly get to finish my lunch earlier. I'd like to make it through a whole meal."  
  
"I've already had dinner, Lee."  
  
"Well, I haven't...and like I said, I didn't get to eat much lunch, so I'm really hungry. Maybe you can have some dessert with me."  
  
"Dessert, hhmmm.... sounds enticing. What do you have in mind?"  
  
"Just food tonight, unless you get hungry for something else later," he said with a devilish grin.  
  
"Hmmm...you never know. I just might work up some kind of an appetite," she replied, her grin mirroring his.  
  
Arriving at the restaurant, they entered and took the same dimly lit booth as earlier that afternoon. As it was evening and dark outside, their booth was even more secluded than before. Taking advantage of the minimal light, Lee sat next to Amanda instead of across from her.   
  
After ordering his dinner, Lee again took advantage of the low light and put his arm around Amanda's shoulder and pulled her close. She put her head on his shoulder and he thought, 'It's now or never Stetson...do it.'  
  
"Amanda, about this afternoon..."  
  
"I know, Lee, I want to talk to you about that too."  
  
"Ok, but let me go first, so I can get this right, without getting sidetracked."  
  
"Alright, go ahead."  
  
"I did a lot of thinking this afternoon, Amanda, and I've come to the conclusion that, if you REALLY want to help McCausland with his assignment, I will support your decision. I won't kid you and say that I'm ok with you working with him, because I don't like it at all. The fact is, I trust you, your intuition, and your abilities. You are an excellent agent, and you do your job very, very well."  
  
He looked down at her, put his hand gently under her chin, turned her face toward his and looked lovingly into his fiancée eyes and said "And just in case I haven't told you lately, I am really, very proud of you and all of your accomplishments. I'm sorry I was so pigheaded earlier." He then leaned in and kissed her gently and lovingly.  
  
Amanda thoroughly enjoyed his kiss. Not wanting to release him just yet, but having no choice, as his food was brought to the table, she looked up at him and said, "Thank you. I had a really great teacher."  
  
Lee chuckled a little and replied, "I'll take that as a compliment."   
  
"Good," answered Amanda, "that's what it was supposed to be. Now, you eat and I'll talk."  
  
"Ok, sounds good," responded Lee, already working on his dinner.  
  
"I had some time to think this afternoon too, and mother...well, you know mother...she just had to put in her two cents worth. Talking to her helped me to realize that you're just concerned about me working with McCausland. Nothing more. I know that you trust me and my skills and abilities. I don't know why, but I did get pretty defensive earlier, and my snapping at you was out of line. I'm sorry. I don't doubt you, or your feelings toward me. I guess I just didn't take the time to understand what you were saying."  
  
"I understand, Amanda," said Lee, still consuming his dinner. "We both got a little hot under the collar and really shouldn't have."  
  
"Yeah, that's a bit of an understatement," replied Amanda. "I just want you to know, that I've taken into consideration all that you said earlier today, and I've decided that I'm not going to make any rash decision about this. I'm going to think it over, carefully, and when I reach my decision, I'll talk it over with you. I'm not saying I won't work with McCausland, but I'm not saying I will, either. I just need to think about what I want to do, and I'm very grateful for your support either way. It really means a lot to me that you care enough to voice your opinion, good or bad."  
  
"Amanda, I love you. You are going to be my wife, and I will *always* be concerned about what you're doing and who you're with. I also know that we can talk through any problems we have and work them out together. As long as we stick together, partners in everything, we can get through anything."  
  
"Well put, my future husband, and I agree completely," she said leaning in and kissing him lightly on his lips.  
  
"Thank you," responded Lee. "Now that we've gotten this problem resolved, I believe you owe me a dance, Mrs. King," he said, standing and reaching for her hand.  
  
"You haven't finished your dinner yet," Amanda responded.  
  
"I'm just about done," he said. "Besides, for the chance to dance with you, I'd gladly pass up a little food," he informed her, again reaching for her hand.  
  
"Ok then, you've got yourself a date, Mr. Stetson," she replied, taking his hand and walking towards the minimally lighted dance floor.  
  
"Just a second," he said, stopping at the jukebox to drop in a coin and select a song. "Ahh, this is the one," he said and led her to the dance floor. As the music started, his arms gently embraced her around her waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Gazing into each others eyes, each saw genuine, passionate, love and no words were necessary. He kissed her lightly, but longingly, as they slowly swayed to the rhythm of the music, both enjoying the intimacy of just holding each other and being close while dancing...  
  
Many a tear have to fall  
But it's all in the game,  
All in the wonderful game  
That we know as love  
  
You have words with him  
And your future's looking dim  
But these things your hearts can rise above  
  
Once in a while he won't call   
But it's all in the game  
Soon he'll be there at your side  
With a sweet bouquet  
And he'll kiss your lips   
And caress your waiting fingertips   
And your hearts will fly away  
  
Soon he'll be there at your side  
With a sweet bouquet  
Then he'll kiss your lips   
And caress your waiting fingertips   
And your hearts will fly away  
  



End file.
